Trolley-catcher.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

W. E. PETTEE, DEGD. '0. M. rn'r'rnn, ADHINISTRATKIX.

TROLLEY GATGHER. APFPLIGATION FILED FEB. 21, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 fn z/enZ a F m.

l/ fuiness es; 3% mm No. 729,657: PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

- W. E. PETTBE, DEO'D. U. M. PETT EE, ADMINiSTBATgIX.

TROLLEY QATGHER.

. APPLICATION iILED FEB. 21, 190i, N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witness 629: I Jnuenfiox;

No. 72e,e57.--

UNITED STATEs PatentedJ'une 2, 1903.

I PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. PETTEE, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS; CLARA M. PETTEEADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID WILLIAM E. PE'ITEE, DECEASED.

TaopLEY-cATcH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,657, dated June 2,1903.

Application filed February 21. 1901 Serial No. 48,271. (No model.)

To all whom it natty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. Pnr'rnn,

of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and when the trolley leaves thewireto actuate said locking device and thereby catch the pole; and theinvention also has for its object to provide improved means for drawingdown the pole when said lockin g device is actuated.

The invention consists, essentially, in the combination, with atrolley-pole, its cord, and a spring-actuatedreelfor the slack cord, ofa locking device, a spring for holding it in its unlocked or disengagingpositiorna' cord deflecting arm for operating said locking de-i vice,which engages and deflects thecord and which is operated by a suddenpull upon the cord to actuate said locking device; also, in thecombination, with a trolleypole, its cord,

and a spring-actuated reel-for the slack cord; of a cord-holderoverwhichthe cord passes,

a grippin g-j aw adapted when operated to impinge the cord on saidcord-holder, and acord-deflecting arinfor operating said grip. ping-jaw,which normally engages and de; fleets the cord and which isadapted to beoperated by a sudden pull upon the cord; also, in the combination, witha trolley-pole, its cord,= and a spring-actuated reel for the slackcord, of pole-catching mechanism adapted to be operated by asudden pullupon the cord, a case for said reel and pole-catching mechanism, adetentforholding said case in elevated position, adapted to be operated torelease said case when the pole is caught, so that said case by fallingwill serve as a weight to draw down the pole.

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a trolleyto pay it out as required.

catcher embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thetrolley-catcher shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the case withits front plate or wall removed, showing the spring-actuated reel andpole-catching mechanism. Fig. 4 is adetailof the upright bar whichsupports the case and the detent for holding said case in elevatedposition.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the case and parts contained therein,taken onthe dotted line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a top view, of the case.Fig. '7 is a sectional detail of the detent. Fig. 8 is aviewfillustrating my device as applied to a car. i a i a-represents thecase or shell, which is of any suitable shape and size to provide anillclosure for the operating parts and also to serve as a supporttherefor.

Z) represents the reel, which is journaled to said shell or case, beingmounted to revolve freely upon a stud b, which, as herein shown,projects forward, from the rear wall of the case. The reel b is hollowedout to provide a circular opening for the spring 12 one end of which isconnected to the reel and the other end to the post I). The front end ofthe reel occupies a position in a circular opening in the front wall ofthe case, being thereby exposed, consequently accessible. This reelserves as a spring-actuated reel for the cord c, which is connected tothe trolley-pole d and operates to take up the slack cord and Thetrolley-cord 0 passes from the reel 1) over a disk or roll e, which Iherein ternrthe cord-holding disk or cord-holder, and from said disk itpasses over the roll f, which is pivotally supported at the extremity ofan arm f, and it then passes up through a hole in the top wall of thecase to the pole. V

The pole-catching mechanism comprises,essentially, a locking device,which is normally held'disengaged, but which is adapted to be operatedby a sudden pull upon the cord.

The locking device herein shown is constructed and arranged to grip thecord and by holding it firmly catch the pole, and comprises a gripping-jaw f pivoted at f and arranged to impinge the cord upon the cordholder6. The arm f is formed integral with or connected to said gripping-jawfyet so far as my invention is concerned it may be otherwise arranged tooperate said grippingjaw, and said arm is arranged to continuouslyengage and to deflect the cord more or less, and therefore said arm isherein termed a cord-deflecting arm. The gripping-jawf is normally heldin disengaging position by means of a spring f, which is connected toit, and which is also connected to an adj ustingscrew f, by means ofwhich its tension may be regulated.

It will be seen that, as the cord is more or less deflected out ofstraight by the corddeflecting arm, a sudden pull upon the cord willlift said arm,and thereby cause the gripping-j aw to impinge the cordupon the cordholder and lock it, and consequently catch the pole.

I am aware that a cord-deflecting arm has been employed for operating areleasing device for mechanism provided for drawing down a trolley-pole;but, so far as I am aware, I am the first to employ a corddefiecting armfor operating a locking device for catching the pole, and consequentlybroadly include the same within the spirit and scope of this invention.

' On the cord-deflecting arm f an eye f is provided for the cord, whichassists in guiding it and holding it in proper position to pass aroundor over the end of the cord-deflecting arm.

The cord-holding disk e is disposed eccentrically, so that when thegripping-jaw) is actuated and impinges the cord thereon said disk byturning will further assist in gripping the cord.

The locking device and cord-deflecting arm for operating it, whichconstitutes the polecatching mechanism, are contained within the case a,and thereby protected, and the cord 0 passes out through a hole in thetop wall thereof. a

The invention so far described is especially adapted for catching thepole when the trolley leaves the wire, and is operated, as will beobvious, by a sudden pull upon the cord.

As a means of drawing down the pole I have mounted the case a,containing the spring actuated reel and pole actuating mechanism, on anupright bar g, on which it is free to slide up and down, and said caseand parts supported by it are sufficiently heavy to serve as a Weight todraw down the pole when released and allowed to fall by gravity.

The case is removably connected to the upright bar, so that it mayberemoved therefrom to be applied at either end of a car, and, as hereinshown, said case a has formed upon or secured to the rear side of itsrear wall a pair of guide-ears g g, which embrace the upright bar, andsaid upright bar is cut away,

,as at g 9 to permit said guide-ears to'be brought into engagement withthe bar. The case a when mounted on the bar is held in macs? elevatedposition by a detent hengaging a pin h, projecting rearwardly from therear wall of the case. The detent h is made as a bell-crank lever and ispivoted at 71 to the frame, and one arm of said lever has a hooked endto engage the pin h and the other arm, as 7L3, has formed or provided onit a suitable projection 71*,which' is adapted to project up through ahole in a plate 7L5, to be pressed upon by the hand to restore the arm hinto locking engagement with the pin h.

The detent has connected with it a spring 716, (see Fig. 7,) which isprovided for the purpose of automatically turning it whenever it isreleased and thereby permitted to act.

It will be seen. that whenever the case is disengaged from the detent itwill fall by gravity and slide down the bar 9 and while doing so willdraw down the pole.

At the lower end of the bar a suitable springsupported buifer 1' may beprovided, if desired. The operation of this part of my invention is asfollows: Then the trolley leaves the wire and suddenly pulls upon thecord, the polecatching mechanism is operated as, for instance, as hereinshown, the cord-deflecting arm is operated to grip the cord and therebycatch the pole, and as said pole is suddenly caught the jerk will besufficient to lift the case a little, far enough to allow the detent tobe disengaged, and as soon as it is disengaged it will be moved by itsspring to one side, and thereby permit the case to fall by gravity.

I claim 1 1. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, aspring-actuated reel for the slack cord, pole-catching mechanism adaptedto be operated by a sudden pull upon the cord, and a case for said'reeland pole-catching mechanism having guide-ears, of an upright bar onwhich said case is free to slide, a detent for holding said case in itselevated position and means for operating said detent when the pole iscaught to thereby release the case, permitting it to fall and totherebyserve as a Weight to draw down the pole, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actuated reelfor the slack cord, pole-catching mechanism adapted to be operated by asudden pull upon the cord, a case for said reel and polecatchingmechanism having guide-ears, an upright bar 011 which said case isremovably mounted and on which it is free to slide, a detent for holdingsaid having guide-ears, an upright bar on which said case is free toslide, a spring-actuated detent for holding said case in its elevatedposition, which releases said case, permitting it to fall and draw downthe pole, when said case is lifted by a sudden pull upon the cord,substantially as described. i

4:. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actuatedreel for the slack cord, a case for said reel, a detent for holding saidcase in elevated position, and means for catching the pole and forbodily lifting the case free from said detent, operated by a,sudden pullupon the cord, to thereby permit said case and parts supported by it tofall and draw down the pole, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actuated reelfor the slack cord, a case for said reel, a detent for holding said casein elevated position, and means for catching the pole and forbodilylifting the case free from said detent, operated by a sudden pullupon the cord, to thereby permit said case and parts supported by it tofall and draw d own the pole, and automatic means for operating saiddetent when the case is lifted, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, at spring-actuatedreel for the slack cord, a case for said reel, a detent for holding saidcase in elevated position, and" means for catching the pole and forbodily lifting the case free from said detent, operated by a sudden pullupon the cord, to thereby permit said case and parts supported by it tofall and draw down the pole, automatic means for operating the saiddetent when the case is lifted, and a restoringarm on said detent,substantially as described.

7. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring actuated reelfor the slack cord, a case for said reel, an upright support on whichsaid case is free to slide, a detent for holding said case in elevatedposition, and means for catching the pole and for bodily lifting thecase free from said detent, operated by a sudden pull upon the cord, tothereby permit said case and parts supported by it to fall and draw downthe pole, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actu atedreel for the slack cord, a case for said reel, an upright support towhich said case is removably connected and on which it is free to slide,a detent for holding said casein elevated position, and means forcatching the pole and for bodily lifting the case free from said detent,operated by a sudden pull upon the cord, to thereby permit said case andparts supported by it. to fall and draw down the pole, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actuated reelfor the slack cord,

a-case forsaid reel, a detent for engaging and holding said case inelevated position, and means for locking the cord and for alsodisengaging the detent and case Operated by a sudden pull upon thecord,.substantially as described.

10. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actuatedreel for the slack cord, a case for said reel, an upright support onwhich said case is free to slide, a detent for engaging and holding saidcase in elevated position, and means for'locking the cord to therebycatch the pole, and also disengage said detent and case operated by asudden pull upon the cord, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord a spring-actuated reelfor the slack cord, a locking device and spring for normally holding itin disengaging position, a cord-deflecting arm for operating saidlocking device, which engages and deflects the cord and which isoperated by a sudden pull upon the cord to actuate said locking device,substantially as described. 7

12. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, and a spring-actuatedreel for the slack cord, of a cord-holder, a gripping-jaw for impingingthe cord on said cord-holder, a corddeflecting arm connected to saidgrippingjaw, which engages. and deflects the cord and which is operatedby a sudden pull upon the cord to actuate said gripping-jaw, substan=tially as described.

13. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, and a spring-actuatedreel for the slack cord, of a cord-holder, a gripping-j aw for impingingthe cord on said cord-holder, a corddeflecting arm connected to saidgrippingjaw, which engages and deflects the cord and which is operatedby a sudden pull upon the cord to actuate said gripping-j aw, and aspring for holding said gripping-jaw normally removed from saidcord-holder, substantially as described.

14:. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actu atedreel for the slack cord, of a c0rdholder, a gripping-jaw for impingingthe cord on said cord-holder, a cord-dc fleeting arm connected to saidgripping-jaw, which engages and deflects the cord and which is operatedby a sudden pull upon the cord to actuate said gripping-jaw, and an eyeon said cord-deflecting arm through which the cord passes, substantiallyas described.

15. The combination with a trolley-pole, its cord, a spring-actuatedreel for the slack cord, and pole-catching mechanism operated by asudden pull upon the cord, of a case containing said reel andpole-catching mechanism, having a hinged door at its front side providedwith a hand-receivin g opening, substantially as described.

16. The combinationwith a trolley-pole, it cord, a spring-actuated reelfor the slack cord, of an eccentric lly-pivoted cord-holding disk andgripping-jaw for impinging the cord on name to this specification in thepresence of said disk, a cord-deflecting arm connected to twosubscribing witnesses.

said gripping-j aw which engages and deflects T 1 the cord and which isoperated by a sudden ILLIAM PETTEL' 5 pull upon the cord to actuate saidgripping- Witnesses:

jaw, substantially as described. B. J. NOYES,

In testimony whereof I have signed my H. B. DAVIS.

